Soul Awakening
by VnikkiR
Summary: All her life, she thought she knew who her family was and who she was supposed to become. Now, knowing the truth, she must choose to deny her title and accept what's in her blood. But when she falls for the enemy, Mina is lost.
1. Chapter 1: Denials of Reality

**Chapter 1: Denials of Reality**

_I woke up to a brisk morning, where the rays of an early sunrise shone warmly on my face, flushing my cheeks with a natural blush, and the light breeze of dawn chased away the lingering images of dreams that were playing behind my closed eyelids. I felt a gentle hand, with skin as soft as the pedals of ivory that grew in the Shrine of Leviathan, smoothing away the locks of serrated bangs that lay limp against my forehead. I felt the thin silk fabric of my garbs tugged at the sleeve just above my wrist, and a melodic voice, as harmonious as the song birds that chirp in the Shrine of Quezocotle, urging me to open my eyes and welcome the new day. I felt myself stirring about beneath my quilted sheets until the sleep from my eyes surrendered to the ever persuasive voice that was determined to get me out of bed. _

_I felt myself opening my eyes. Blind sighted from the sun that was already glaring harshly through the gold-trimmed velvet curtains, I discovered she had pulled them open enough to partially reveal the doorway to my private balcony. I gave her an annoyed look for waking me up at the crack of dawn, and she gave me a stern look for my lack of discipline. I giggled at her attempt to keep a straight face before she exploded into her dignified laughter, one of such poise and grace of a true Huong. _

_I sat up to wrap my arms around her thin figure to bid her good morning before she dragged me to my bath where the water was warm and salted with iris fragrances whose scent reminded me always of the Garden's floral maze. I felt her rinsing my ragged hair and lathering my skin with a bar of soap that included a special blend of organic ginger and juice of cucumber to keep its complexion clear. I watched her take my silver comb through each lock of my tangled hair with such care that after thousands of strokes, my dark brown hair was straight and appeared glossy in the light. Afterward, she wrapped me in my silk robes before taking me to the stables where a carriage waited to take me to my homemaking lessons at the Convent in the eastern province of the village. _

_I saw her stand at the gateway as two stallions pulled the carriage bumpily down the road. I leaned out the open window and waved graciously at her, and watched her wave back with a smile on her face. I leaned back on the cushioned seat and looked down the road my stallions were taking me through. I sighed gently. This was just another day._

I slowly peeled my eyes open half expecting for the blazing sun to blind me, but for some reason, the curtains were closed. "Huh?" I said in confusion. I propped myself onto my elbows and felt my eyes wandering around my chambers. I was sleeping in the same bed in the same room, but something was different…something was missing. Suddenly, the woman's face flashed in my mind. "Mother?" I called out. I crawled out from under my sheets and shuffled to the bathroom. Pushing open the door, I expected to see my warm bath and my nose filling with the scent of salted iris, but the granite tub was empty and dry. My eyes squinted in confusion. "It can't be…" I whispered. I felt my legs soar like eagles' wings and took me out from my chambers and down the red decorative rug that muffled my steps on the hardwood floors. I stumbled down the spiral steps with my small hands gripping the rail as I kept praying that I do not find what I seek. I sprinted into the grand hall and decided to take the corridors of the East Wing to get out. Before I could turn the corner, a dark figure towered over me, and I was unable to stop myself from crashing into it.

"Mina!" a deep voice boomed from the top of the spiral steps. I knew that voice. Stretching my neck, I looked up and saw my father, Lord Huong, leaning over the banister in displeasure. He seemed to have woken up fairly recently for his sleeping garbs still drape the limbs of his built body beneath his gold trimmed robe. He banged his fist against the handrail. "Must I send you back to the Convent? Behave yourself!"

I flinched at his harsh tone and at the threat of going back to the Convent. If there was something I ever disliked, it was those cursed classes at the Convents I detested with all of my being. Then, two strong arms reached down to pull my tiny frame back onto my feet. They were muscular and sun soaked arms. I knew those arms. Craning my neck, I saw that it was Mitsurugi, the General of the Dynasty's combat men and the Master of the Huong Dojo. I knew he had to have been up hours ahead of my awakening because he was already armored and usually has his morning duties to tend to.

"Rambunctious as always," Mitsurugi sighed with discontent. He bent down to my level. "Young one, you should be more careful from now on. It is unladylike to race through the halls like that."

I let out a heavy sigh of impatience. "Father, I did not see mother in my chambers this morning. Where is she?" I ignored Mitsurugi. I saw my father's body stiffen. _No, it can't be…_I denied. "Answer me! Why won't you answer me?" I glared at him through my teary eyes.

Regaining his composure, my father glared right back. "You dare give orders to your father? To raise your voice! Have you forgotten your place?"

"Young one, please do not upset Lord Huong," Mitsurugi interrupted quietly.

I turned away from my father and looked up at Mitsurugi. "Then answer me!" I demanded again, yet even he turned away and refused to tell me. "Is it because I am a child? You honor every code my father bids you and you honor the sword that never deserts your side, yet you are incapable of treating me as I wish to be treated!"

"Mina…" he began.

I did not wait for his answer and ran off towards the East Wing corridors. Mitsurugi looked up questioningly at Lord Huong, and he nodded in approval to follow me. I heard the man call my name, but I refused to look back at him. I felt my legs carrying me through a direction that felt terribly familiar…too familiar. After winding my way through the Eastern Garden's maze, I soon found myself in the Shrine of Leviathan, where my mother planted the most beautiful flowers in the Dynasty, her favorite being white ivory and purple iris. The strong scent that my nose has come to know so well stung in my eyes as they welled up in tears. I was up earlier than usual, as I finally realized that the sun had not risen yet. It was still quite lit in the garden though, with a soft glowing light that told me sunrise was just a heartbeat away.

Wiping the streaming tears from my cheeks, I slowly made my way through the Shrine's stone walk. Upon the site of a beautiful fountain, I knew that I had finally reached the heart of the Shrine. At the center of it stood the great statue of Leviathan, who in legend was told to be the Guardian of Water that nurtured and protected Mother Nature. My mother always liked this masterpiece above all else within our Dynasty's walls, for she had a connection with nature. "Mother?" I called out. "Mother, are you here? Please answer me…" I forced myself to walk around the fountain and through a quiet passageway that led up stone steps into a clearing. When I climbed my final step, I nearly fainted at the sight of my mother's grave.

"Oh!" I sobbed. "Oh, mother!" I fell down on my knees and put my palms together as I bent down and bowed with respect to the epitaph with my mother's name engraved into it. In the corners, carvings of her favorite flowers decorated the gray stone. I felt my fingers tracing the calligraphy as more tears spilled from my eyes. "Mother, why… why did you leave me?"

Suddenly, the tip of her gravestone was lit up in an orange glow. I turned and saw the sun rise behind Mitsurugi's figure. He stood there for a moment before making his way to my mother's grave and bowed just as I had. "Lady Huong…" he sighed sadly.

I sniffed and wiped my tears with the back of my hand as I watched the sun come up. "We sat right here, right on these steps, mother and I. We'd come here early mornings when I didn't have to attend my classes at the Convent. She once told me that if she were ever to pass away, she wanted her grave to be right here, so that her spirit may watch the sun rise over the horizon," I paused. Standing up, I walked over to a wooden pole that supported the roof that protected my mother's gravesite and leaned on it. "She used to open my curtains every morning, to wake the sleep from my eyes. Crazy lady, did she wish to blind me?" I gave a small laugh. "But she told me, that when… if… she left, she wanted me to keep my curtains open, so that when the sun shines through my windows, it'll be her, waking me up."

I stopped then and felt myself sink to the ground hugging the large pole as I sobbed in my own misery. I heard Mitsurugi stir from behind me, and soon I found him seated to my left with a heavy hand on my shoulder. "Mina, this isn't the first morning you've woken without Lady Huong at your side. What is it child?"

"Stop calling me a child!" I shrieked. "Young this, child that… I'm sick of it! I have no mother, and all father does is care for Killik because he's a boy! I am left to fend for myself, so why, Rugi, why do you insist on calling me a child!"

He sighed. Rugi was a nickname I called him since I was too young to remember. His name wasn't quite rolling off my tongue right, so he allowed that I be the only one to degrade his character by calling him by such a name. "Mina, I understand your grief for Lady Huong's passing, but—

"No! You don't understand how I feel at all!" I shouted.

"But I do!" he retorted. "Have you forgotten my reason being here?"

I suddenly remembered and mentally slapped myself for not remembering sooner. Mitsurugi came a long way from the time he first arrived at my father's doorstep. He was young and inexperienced, as shown in his frail body and virgin eyes. His only family had been slain without mercy by the Shinma, and he was bloodthirsty for revenge. Somehow, my father saw potential in this young man, and took him under his wing. My father enrolled him into the special training facilities that were operated within the walls of our Dynasty, where Mitsurugi gained his amazing flexibility and endurance. The training advanced and soon he built a body that possessed incredible body mass and muscles strong enough to resist the pull of our stallions when handling them became difficult. And as Mitsurugi's training was going on to higher levels, my father had taught him how to fight with his mind and body, as well as how to wield the sword he now carries in its sheath at this very moment.

Seasons blurred into each other and soon years had passed. Mitsurugi's desire for retribution began to dissipate with each strike of his broadsword, as my father taught him the ways of humanity and of the destruction that he is capable of bringing to himself with poisonous emotions such as hatred and anger. My father taught him the implication of forgiveness and the significance of the honor of a true warrior. And with that, Mitsurugi has become not only our Dynasty's General, but a Master in the Dojo that passes on my father's teachings to those that carry such emotions and burdens that he once carried himself as a young man.

He was a man of position and importance in our Dynasty that I suspected to be fierce in battle and fearless towards his enemy, but here he stands before me, and I can recognize the gentleness of humanity in his eyes still, and I can only pray that my brother will follow in Mitsurugi's steps and resist whatever darkness becoming a warrior may bring to him. Towering over me, Mitsurugi bent down on one knee and shoved away a stray strand of his ravenous black hair from his eyes as he put his sword down.

"I'm sorry Rugi, I was out of line."

"It's all right, Mina," he told me. "I do understand how you feel. But you need to learn to let go, or else you will never move on with your life, and you will never find peace within your own spirit. Your father taught me about the destruction my own fiery would bring to my soul, and I know that he does not wish that of you."

"But how do you know?" I asked. "He's so busy preparing Killik to be our next Lord that he forgotten all about me!"

"I know, Mina," he said. "But I've known your father much longer than you've been in this world, and believe me. He cares about you and your well-being."

"Then why doesn't he show it?" I whispered bitterly.

"Because he has faith in you," Mitsurugi told me. "You ask not to be treated as a child, and he is giving you that treatment. You question your own strength whereas he does not. He feels he shouldn't baby you and that you should be raised to take care of yourself and your own emotions."

"But that's not fair!" I cried. "How can he expect me to take care of myself if I'm—

"If you're only a child," he finished.

I looked up at him through my bloodshot eyes and my tearstained skin. I didn't know whether to slap him or to hold onto his reassuring hand. Taking a deep breath, I said, "I guess I am then."


	2. Chapter 2: Motherless Child

**Chapter 2: Motherless Child**

The sunrise was beautiful. It rose from the ashes of the distant horizon and seemed to slowly be set ablaze as my eyes began to hurt from looking at it for so long. I peered over my shoulder to look at Mitsurugi who had not said a word in our long, but comfortable, silence. He stared off into the distance, his eyes on the verge of welling up in stinging tears from the blinding sun, and his facial expression was full of emotion. I could never read Mitsurugi quite as well as he was able to read me. His face always revealed his emotions, but there were so many he bottled up that when he showed them, he displayed something so complex that one would have a difficult time deciphering its intricacy. Other times, he would not be so open about his feelings, so he would stitch that door close, leaving a seamless wall between him and the bareness of his soul. Only those that knew him as well as I would sense that there was something crawling beneath his skin.

I continued watching him from the corner of my eye. He did not move an inch since we last spoke. He just kept his eyes set on something that he seemed to see that I could not, yet it was as though he was remembering. There were times when I would catch him lost in his own reverie, as though he were playing an old roll of film in his head as he stared at an invisible white screen with images being projected onto it. That must be what he was doing at that moment, so I knew better than to bother him when he was remembering; just as he knew not to bother me when I was accepting reality. A stubborn part of me wanted to keep denying my mother's death, but I knew deep in the bottomless pit of my heart that her death was true. But according to the epitaph, she had passed away just barely more than a month ago, so confusion worked its way into my head when I tried to reason why I suddenly believed she was alive after all this time.

"Mina," a voice cut through my thoughts. Mitsurugi finally spoke.

"What is it Rugi?" I shifted myself to face him.

"I should be asking you that, young one," he retorted. "Your face is molded into a shape I recognize fairly well. What troubles your heart child?"

I sighed when he referred to me as a child again. But after the conversation we had earlier, I knew not to waste time with debating further about the subject. "Nothing… I'm just confused. So confused…"

He paused. "Mina, you do understand that when one wakes up, they sometimes forget what is real and what is not?" I nodded for him to continue. "When people are in a state of deep slumber, they see things that have happened in their past, things that have happened in their present, or things that they wish to have happen in the future. Those images may just be dreams, but they are rather illusions, because they make you see and feel things that are not actually there. You see, when those dreams become so real, people may have the tendency to wake in the mindset that what they've dreamt is actually their reality, when really they are not."

He didn't need to continue the lecture, as he knew that I was quick to learn, but slow to accept. But that didn't mean I was ready to take in his words completely. I leaned back on the wooden pole and let out a heavy breath. "I understand."

Mitsurugi ruffled my hair gently before breaking into a small smile. "Good Mina. Good."

I let out a tiny smile before sinking into a frown. "Sometimes, I wish you were my father instead of Lord Huong."

The General suddenly narrowed his eyes. "Mina! You must not say such nonsense! Do you understand?"

I bit on my bottom lip. "I'm sorry Rugi, I didn't mean to offend you in any way…"

He let out a short breath. "Of course not, I take it more as a compliment. Young Seung Mina Huong wishing for someone like me to be her father than the Lord of one of the most powerful Dynasties of all Spira…"

"Rugi! You insult me," I pouted. "You must've dreamt up an illusion that I'd care about something so insignificant."

"I'm sorry young one," he apologized. "I shall keep that in mind."

"Oh, do not use that on me," I frowned. "I'd rather you _know_ me than remembering me as someone that doesn't care about such things. It's a bit more courteous on my part don't you think?"

"I believe so, Mina," Mitsurugi nodded and stroked the beginnings of a beard growing over his strong and square chin.

"But Rugi, I mean it," I told him seriously. "I mean… I do believe that I am blessed. To have a father that is the Lord of such a powerful Dynasty. To have a mother who is—

I stopped myself short when I realized my mistake.

"I mean, a mother who _was _the most beautiful woman in all of Spira," I corrected myself sadly. "To have a brother who is to follow in my father's footsteps in becoming a great ruler of our people and lead our warriors into victory over the evil Shinma." I looked at Mitsurugi and noticed his eye flinch at me mentioning the Shinma. "And just to live such a luxurious life. I have been outside the Dynasty walls, and I do not feel that it is justified that we live such extravagant lives when so many, just steps away from the walls that fence us in, are in pain and suffering from starvation and poverty."

I sighed and stretched my legs in front of me before swinging them back and forth over the side of the temple. "I really am lucky, but is this what I really want? A father that cares more about his Dynasty and his heir than his other flesh and blood? I became a motherless child just barely more than a month ago, Rugi! How does he expect me to take care of myself when mother had always been the one there for me? And as much as I hate the title, yes, I really am still a child. A child that desperately needs her father, but instead finds that he relies on sending me to someone or somewhere that will take care of me because it is supposedly more convenient for giving him the time he needs to take care of the things he really cares about."

I continued sitting besides the man as he quietly listened. "Just like now. He sent you to come after me, didn't he? After all, he isn't here. And even if he were, all he would do is silence me and tell me how much of a disappointment I am compared to Kilik. He wouldn't sit here and listen like you, Rugi. He just… I feel like he's not really my father sometimes."

Suddenly, I noticed Mitsurugi's head snap up as though he was alerted of danger. "What is it, Rugi? Did something happen?" I began to panic. But he returned to his calm composure and waved it off.

"No, it's just that," he began. "My duty… but that's irrelevant to the conversation, please continue."

"Oh! My goodness, Rugi, I didn't mean to keep you for so long," I quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, please forgive me, I know how strict father is on punctuality, and you haven't even begun your morning routine yet!"

"Mina, please don't fret, I'm sure Lord Huong will understand," he reassured me. "He knows I'm with you, so he won't mind if I am tardy for my duties."

"Are you sure?" I asked once more.

"Yes, child!" Mitsurugi chuckled. "But just know this… your mother really was the most beautiful woman I've been blessed to lay eyes on, because she was not only beautiful on the outside, her beauty shone from within. And I haven't a doubt that you will follow your mother's path, because when I look at you, I see your mother."

"Really?" I asked with bright eyes.

"Yes, really," he smiled. "And that fire and passion that she had inside of her… that was what I truly admired about her. Because she felt the way you do about subjects of injustice and the inequality that exists in our society. She had wisdom beyond her years, and I believe that you received that trait far more than I expected."

I laughed. "What are you implying dear Rugi? Am I getting too smart for your comfort?"

He had to laugh at this. "No dear Mina, you are getting too witty for me to dodge questions I don't want to answer. Now I best get going before Lord Huong sends out a search party for the both of us."

I smirked. "Right… when pigs fly, Rugi."

"Ah! Never say pigs cannot fly little one!" Mitsurugi joked. "But I must go. Would you like to accompany me back to the palace?"

"Actually, I need some time alone," I replied quietly.

"Oh, I'm hurt," he shot back sarcastically and grasped his chest as though I had wounded him with a shot of an arrow.

"Rugi! What kind of general acts with such silliness?" I rounded my fists and placed them on my hips with a pout.

"A general looking after a child with no manners whatsoever," he joked again.

"No manners!" I exclaimed. "I'll show you manners!" I stood up and jumped onto him and swung my fist playfully at his face. "Hah! Take that! And that! And that!"

"Mina! Careful, you might hurt yourself!" Mitsurugi warned.

Suddenly my fist accidentally struck a blow to his left eye, and I stopped punching immediately and gasped at what I had done. I was just about to open my mouth for a heartfelt apology when the man started chuckling. "What's so funny?" I asked in confusion. My curiosity only made him laugh harder. "Rugi! Are you laughing at me? Or at yourself, for being beaten by a _child_?" I smirked at him when he gaped at me for mentioning such a thing. "Ahah! What say you dear Rugi? Do you deny your defeat, or shall I bring a mirror and show you my victorious mark?"

"What!" he cried. He took a finger and touched his eye, which had already begun to swell into a light shade of purple and blue. He flinched at the bruise on his tender skin, and shoved me off as he stood up. "Oh the tragedy, how must I face my men in such condition? I'm not pretty anymore!" Mitsurugi strut the pose of a damsel in distress as he rung his fingers together and shook his head from left to right.

"Oh Rugi!" I laughed. "Are you sure _I'm_ the child here, or is there something you want to tell me?" I raised an eyebrow with a mischievous grin.

That was when my smile faded when I noticed a twinge in Mitsurugi's eyes. He was acting strange lately, he seemed more distracted and distant these days, and I caught him on more than one occasion this morning. But as soon as those unreadable emotions flared in his face, it disappeared back behind his mask, as it always would. I wished I knew what was wrong, but I knew he'd come up with a way to dismiss such judgment.

"Rugi," I snapped at him to get his attention. "Come, let's make you beautiful so those men will court you and free me of this horrid baby-sitting."

"Oh, please do!" he replied fluttering his eyelashes. He had eyelashes? What a sight! I took his hand and dragged him along as I ran back to the palace to do just as I said… make him beautiful.


	3. Chapter 3: Wisdom Owns No Age

**Soul Awakening**

Chapter 3: Wisdom Owns No Age

"Rugi?" I called out quietly. I felt his hand squeeze mine as we walked back into the palace through the eastern corridors.

"What is it Mina?" Mitsurugi asked.

I rubbed my heavy eyelids. With a yawn, I answered, "Never mind."

"Young one, you haven't quite slept to your mind's need," he stopped walking and bent down on one knee to reach my height. "You should get some shut eye and rest. Tomorrow's a big day for you."

"Tomorrow?" I mumbled to myself. My mind was still foggy from waking up in such confusion that morning, and I hadn't a clue on what tomorrow was. I searched my mind to no avail and frowned.

The man smiled at my face. "Has it slipped your mind? Kilik's coronation is tomorrow."

Then I remembered. "Oh! I can't believe I'd nearly forgotten about his ceremony."

"Good, then you get plenty of beauty sleep, you want to look your best for the ball," he advised.

"Ugh," I whined. "I hate going to balls! Father always makes me wear those confining gowns. Does he wish to suffocate me? And the court expects me to act all groomed and proper. I absolutely loathe the dimwit that came across the idea of holding a ball."

"Mina!" Mitsurugi sighed. "For a child less than a decade old, you do have a lot of hatred in your soul."

"But of course!" I retorted with my nose hitched in the air. "You wouldn't know! You're a man! The court wouldn't care less if you were to strip naked and peek under women's skirts all night long. If a girl were as to hunch her back for a moment, she would be held in such disgrace! It's ridiculous!"

The General shook his head. "You really are getting quite wise beyond your years. You don't even speak the tongue of a child, when did this growing up phase occur?"

"While you sailed to Gaia with father to negotiate with the Mishima Conglomerate," I answered with an attitude. "Father was ruthless! He made sure I kept busy in his absence. I was assigned to tutors to improve my calligraphy and vocabulary use. I could've sworn my fingers went numb after the second book those horrid teachers assigned me. And I was even sent to the Convent, again! Those old hags, I never wish to see them again as long as there is still breath in my body."

"You mustn't speak of the elderly in such disrespect, Mina," Mitsurugi told me.

"I understand, but you've naught to meet those old hags, Rugi!" I argued. "They're terrible. I couldn't possibly become the lady father wants me to be if that is not what I wish to be."

Mitsurugi chuckled as we continued to make our way up the steps and down the hall to my chambers. I rubbed my eyes again as I struggled to keep them open. With one last yawn, I was gleaming with joy when we finally arrived to my door.

"Rugi, pray you tuck me in?" I asked with innocent child eyes.

"Aw, to an ugly face like that, who wouldn't?" the young man joked.

"Rugi!" I shouted with a frown. He just kept laughing, that dimwit of a General. I ran into my room and hopped onto my bed scurrying under the covers as Mitsurugi slowly made his way to tuck me in.

"Mina, a child you still are in my eyes," he said looking down at me as he pat down my hair. "But you grow so fast, I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with such a pain."

"My, oh my, is the general attempting to admit that he has a weakness?" I teased him with a victorious smile. I was actually anticipating for Mitsurugi to defend himself, but instead, he sat at my bedside and sighed solemnly.

"Mina…" he began.

He paused for a moment, as though trying to find the right words to say to me. I was afraid. For the first time in all my years of being raised by Mitsurugi, I had never been afraid of what he was going to say to me… until now.

"Rugi… what is it?" I asked cautiously. "Please tell me."

After a brief moment, the man shook his head and put a smile on his face. "It is nothing, little one. I apologize for worrying you."

"But—

"No buts, you must rest," he ordered. "I must tend to my duties. I'll return to check up on you, all right?"

It was not all right, but I bit my lip and nodded. Mitsurugi smiled and leaned over to kiss me on the forehead before taking his leave from my chambers. I shut my eyes to get some more rest, like he said I should. But I found myself unable to as I began wondering what it was that Mitsurugi wanted to say to me.

"Mina", I heard a voice whisper.

My whole body was relaxed and at ease within the sunken depths of my bed, and I was rather enjoying my pleasant nap. My mind was still elsewhere, so I couldn't tell whether that voice was from my dream or from someone trying to wake me up from my slumber. All I knew was that I just wanted my nap.

I let out a soft moan and felt myself roll over beneath the quilted blanket that my mother sowed for me as a present for my eighth birthday. It was only a couple months ago, but already the quilt felt as though it contained years of character, like there was some mystery about it. I didn't think too much of it though, because what I cared about more was that the quilt was something that my mother spent her time making, just for me.

"Mina", I heard the urging voice call out my name again.

I sighed. I guess the voice wasn't from a dream after all. It was a bit of a struggle, but I managed to regain enough consciousness to open my eyes to see a blurred vision of a young girl sitting by my bedside. I cupped my hand over my mouth as I let out an enormous yawn and stretched further into my soft pillows. I heard the girl laugh at my lovely display of mannerism as she poked my side.

"One of these days, I ought to bring Lord Huong in here to witness his wonderful cherry blossom's awakening", she joked.

"Go ahead", I dared her. "I doubt he would take on such an invitation though. He doesn't even care about me."

The young girl gave me a perplexed look before letting out a breath of content. She shook her head left to right very gently, not in a way to scorn me, but to make me reconsider what I said.

"I _know_, Sophitia," I reassured her before she could criticize me.

"No, you do not," Sophitia argued. "Lord Huong is a remarkable man, why can't you see him for what he has done instead of focusing so consistently on what he has not?"

"Because…" I began as I adjusted my pillows so that I may sit up. I took in a deep breath and let it out before looking seriously into Sophitia's eyes. "Because sometimes… I feel like he is not really my father."

Sophitia was more puzzled than taken aback. "But… he _is_, Mina."

"No, I mean…" I took another deep breath. "Oh dear Yevon, I wish I could explain it, but this I cannot!"

"Shh, calm down," she told me. "Don't get yourself so worked up over this, you're just feeling emotional, that's all. Lady Huong was the closest thing that you really had to a parent, and may she rest in peace, but... that is no reason to strip the title that Lord Huong has over you. He always has been and always will be your father."

I nodded.

"And I understand," she added. "Truly, I do. I understand that Lord Huong was never really the father figure that you needed while growing up, but still, he _is_ your father, but he is also the Lord of one of the most powerful and respected dynasties of Terra. To rule such a dynasty is an honor. You should be proud of your father, because he has done so much for our country."

I nodded again.

"Really, Mina," she continued persistently. "The blood that runs in your veins has been passed down from generation to generation. You were born into a family of privilege, and with that come responsibility. To be given the power to make change, but not use it would be a waste, would it not?"

I could feel the tears welling in my eyes, but I refused to let them go. "Yes. Yes, it would."

Sophitia smiled. "Oh, I apologize, Mina. I didn't mean to make you cry!" She laughed as she kindly handed me a handkerchief to wipe the tears from my eyes.

"It's all right, Sophitia," I waved it off. "Maybe I'm just being selfish."

"There's nothing wrong with being selfish," she reasoned. "We are human. Humans need to be selfish once in a while in order to survive. Otherwise, how will we care for others if we do not learn to care for ourselves?"

My gaze rose to that of Sophitia's. I stared at her for a bit, wondering how it was that Mitsurugi would think that I had grown to become so wise when Sophitia was the one who had the answers to everything. She saw the world in ways that I did not. And she knew how to put her visions and her feelings into words in ways that I could not.

"You know so much, Sophitia," I told her. "I wish I could be as wise as you."

"You are, Mina," she told me. "You just let your emotions cloud your judgment sometimes. Besides, you have plenty of time to grow and to learn about the world, as I have."

"Sophitia, you're only five years older than me," I pouted jokingly.

"I know," she shrugged. "But a lot can happen within a year, within a month, within a week, within a day, within a minute, within a second… We're different from other children. I didn't have parents to raise me, so I had to grow up quickly on my own, as you must since you are next in the bloodline of becoming the Lady of the Huong Dynasty."

I frowned at the mentioning of my duties as the daughter of Lord Huong, but suddenly I realized that in a way, I was lucky. I was lucky because I was able to be raised by both of my parents and to know where I came from and who I was to become.

Sophitia was a young girl of only a tender age of thirteen. Before she was born, her mother, Sephora, used to work in the palace as my mother's personal servant. She and my mother were more than just mistress and servant though. They were the best of friends and were like sisters. Sephora was an amazing woman from the stories my mother would tell Sophitia and me, and I wish that we both could have met her. However, Sephora died while giving birth to her daughter, leaving Sophitia an orphan from the moment she was born. This was because her father had been executed long before she was born.

One day, when Sephora had been sent to the market in the village on an errand for my mother, she was kidnapped and raped by a man she did not know. When my mother didn't see Sephora return to the palace, she immediately sent out the guards to search for her. Upon finding her, they discovered that the man who had taken her was an insubordinate stray soldier of the Shinma. Because he was no longer a part of the Shinma clan, my father ordered an execution to be performed. Before Sephora even knew she was pregnant, the father of her child was already dead.

By strict law of the Huong Dynasty, my mother could not adopt a child that was not of her blood, but knowing that Sophitia had no other place to go, she took the liberty of raising her as a servant. Three years later, Kilik was born, and in another two years, I would be. The three of us became what my mother and Sephora were. We were the best of friends and she was like a sister to us.

But now, with my mother gone and my father tending to his duties as a Lord… with Kilik's studies and training to take over my father's place and Mitsurugi's responsibilities as being the general of our Dynasty's men… I felt like Sophitia was all I had left of a family. And a part of me hoped that somehow things would work out. But I couldn't help but feel like things were going to change soon… changes I won't be ready for.


End file.
